Observations
by Catherine Pugh
Summary: A collection of Gilligan's Island drabbles. I saw Panhead 13's post and thought it was a cool idea. All sections within are exactly 100 words long. I cut down the number of chapters and condensed it into one story.


Mary Ann hands him a test tube.

"What makes that happen?" she asks, her curiosity peaking as the Professor drips acid onto a rock. It reacts with a hiss and bubbling. Her eyes light up. She inspects more closely.

He smiles broadly, pleased as punch that someone on this island takes some interest in his work.

"Hydrochloric acid. The bubbles are carbon dioxide gas, which signals the presence of carbonate minerals."

He looks at her anxiously, afraid this might go over her head. She smiles and takes out her notebook.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

"Taking notes," she replies.

-o0o-

Ginger sits at her mirror, toying with her hair. She notices tiny, faint wrinkles on the sides of her eyes.

_Funny, those are new._

She feels a sinking in the pit of her stomach as she examines closer. If she isn't rescued soon, the only parts she'll ever get are those of mothers. She doesn't want those aging roles.

Ginger hasn't told anyone her real age. She's older than people think. She keeps her birth certificate locked in a safety deposit box and tells everyone she lost it. She wonders if her hands show signs of aging.

No, not yet.

-o0o-

Thurston Howell watched his wife as she sipped a mai tai out of a bamboo cup, and remembered the first time he saw her.

She yawned, patted her mouth with her kid gloves, and closed her eyes.

They had a rocky marriage back home. He had been a bit of a philanderer. The trip to Hawaii was supposed to be a reconciliation. They bickered in the hotel room. They bickered on the boat.

Then they were shipwrecked together.

After all was said and done, he was glad that if he had to be shipwrecked at all, it was with Lovey.

-o0o-

Gilligan sits on the beach, watching the water splash against the shoreline. He is on the lookout for ships. The signal fire is ready to light, if necessary.

The sun is hot on his skin. He pulls his shirt sleeves down and tips his hat over his face to keep from getting burned. His fair Irish skin is no match for the tropical sun.

At first he wanted to go back home so he could have a hamburger and double thick malted shake with whipped cream, but now he loved it here. Here he could think, and daydream. Pure bliss.

-o0o-

"I need your help, Skipper."

The Skipper looks up from the chaise lounge at Ginger. She is wearing that clingy evening gown that hugs her immaculate curves. She looks like the Venus de Milo…with arms. He swallows nervously.

"What do you need?" he asks.

"I'm rehearsing a scene from _The Hula Girl and the Fullback_. I need a fullback. You're much better for the part than the Professor."

The Skipper feels flattered. He walks over to her and she wraps her arms around his neck, prompting his lines in a stage whisper.

"Now kiss me," she insists.

He puckers up.

-o0o-

"I made your favorite, Gilligan! Coconut cream pie."

Gilligan smiles at Mary Ann and politely thanks her. He likes Mary Ann, but he sees that hopeful gleam in her eye…the gleam that wants him to kiss her. He's seen it many times.

Gilligan likes Mary Ann very much, but he is not romantically interested in her – or anyone. He tried to make it clear once, but she didn't get the hint. She came on too strongly sometimes.

"Looks great!" he said. "But there's way too much just for me. Mind if I share this with the Skipper?"

Her shoulders slump.

-o0o-

The Professor sits in his hut, reading _Tropical Diseases._ He is concerned about Mr. Howell, who started to show symptoms of malaria. This could be bad.

Mary Ann enters and shows the Professor a smashed mosquito she found in Mr. Howell's shirt when she did his laundry.

"Could this be the culprit?" she asks.

"Excellent find, dear!" he exclaims, taking the insect with tweezers and placing it on a slide. He looks under the microscope and nods.

"It's malaria. We will have to extract quinine from the bark of the cinchona tree," he said.

"Let's go." She takes his hand.

-o0o-

They are eating dinner. Ginger notices the Professor. He is incredibly good looking, and nice. She wishes she understood what he was saying half the time. She tried to get to know him better, but he was so preoccupied with his work.

Ginger's desperate to be noticed. She gave up trying to attract his attention. Ever since Mary Ann started helping him, she's noticed the body language between them change.

He's falling in love with her.

Ginger glances at the Howells. They are much happier.

Gilligan placidly eats his fish mash.

She catches the Skipper gazing at her, and blushes.

-o0o-

"Gilligan, I can't move."

"Neither can I."

Gilligan and Mary Ann were stuck in the cave entrance after being startled by a bird. They had tried to get into the cave at once, and now they couldn't budge. They called for help.

The Professor happened to be in the clearing and heard their cries. He laughed when he saw them. The Skipper joined them a few minutes later.

"I know what to do," the Skipper said. "We'll need a lever. Professor, you drive the wedge between Gilligan and Mary Ann."

"Not everyone can enjoy this work," the Professor laughed heartily.

-o0o-

"What is this, Professor?" Ginger asked, picking up a stone tablet.

"It's a MAP!" he said, excitedly. He pointed at an area toward the bottom. "I believe made by the Drabl people. There's an inscription in hieroglyphs."

"Do you know what it says?"

"It says "ALL DRABLS LEAD TO MAP," he replied slowly, scratching his head. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Well, now everyone knows where they stand," Ginger shrugged, looking at her nails.

She tried pulling down her cleavage to catch the Professor's attention, but he was engrossed in the meaning of the map.

"Where's Mary Ann?" he asked.

-o0o-

The Skipper had served in the navy with Gilligan. One day Gilligan noticed a pipe burst open on the ship. He tackled the Skipper out of the way of being killed and both men saved the ship from sinking.

The Skipper was so grateful to Gilligan for saving his life, that he hired him as first mate when they both got honorable discharge.

Gilligan never said anything mean about his parents, but he could tell the kid had a tough upbringing.

"You're the father I always wanted," Gilligan once said.

"And you're like a son to me," the Skipper replied.

-o0o-

Mary Ann sees Gilligan coming up the path and feels her face burning hot. She is embarrassed.

"You okay, Mary Ann?" he asked, noticing her crestfallen face.

"Yeah," she says quietly. "Did you like the pie?"

"Tasty!" He sees her face light up.

"I know you baked the pie just for me."

She nods, averting her eyes.

"I just wanted to say thank you for all nice things you do for me. I'm glad you're my friend. I hope we always stay, you know…good friends. Just like this."

He looks at her hopefully. Tears spring in her eyes. She nods.

-o0o-

Mrs. Howell looks up from her petit point and sees the Professor working out some math equations.

Ginger slinks by seductively, laundry tub balanced on her hip. The Professor politely nods hello, but is otherwise lost in his calculations.

_He's an amiable chap,_ Lovey thinks. _Pity things with him and Ginger didn't work out. Ah well. _She puts down her sewing and takes a sip of guava juice.

Mary Ann comes running up the path.

"Mary Ann!" he says. She's crying. He puts his arms around her. "Aww. Are you alright?"

Mrs. Howell returns to her sewing with a smile.

-o0o-

Mr. Howell is hitting golf balls by the beach. He sees Gilligan coming across the beach.

"Gilligan, my boy!" he shouts. "Why so glum?"

"There's someone here who likes me more than I like them, and I had to hurt their feelings. I feel rotten."

"WHAT?" Mr. Howell spouts. "It had better not be my wife you're talking about!"

"No," Gilligan replies. "Mary Ann."

"Oh. Mawryawwn," he drawls, remembering what he had seen at dinner. "These things happen, my boy. Have some sipsies, it'll clear your head." He hands Gilligan a bamboo tumbler full of special stash.

Gilligan drinks some.

-o0o-

The Skipper sees Mary Ann's red eyes and wants to ask what's wrong. The Professor stops him.

"She's had a bad day," he says. "Apparently she had a crush on Gilligan and it's not working out."

The Skipper nods. He suspected his Little Buddy was behind the tears. It was evident to everyone that Mary Ann liked Gilligan. But he also knew Gilligan was a lone wolf. He'd never had a girlfriend as long as he knew him.

"I'll pick her some flowers," the Professor says.

"Hold on, now, Professor. What if she thinks you like her?"

"She'd be right."

-o0o-

Mary Ann is on her bed, crying. The Professor brings her a bouquet of hibiscus and puts it in the vase.

"I picked these for you," he says quietly. She looks up, her face red and puffy.

"They're beautiful," she replies, wiping her face, straightening her hair. He sits next to her. "You didn't have to."

"I wanted to." He takes her hand. "Mary Ann…I know how you feel."

"You do?"

"For someone to notice me as much as I notice them."

Blood rushes to her head. Her heart pounds loudly.

"I must go, my dear."

He kisses her cheek.


End file.
